Lesson Plan: Animal idioms.

Lesson Level:   Senior                     Duration:  45

Lesson Title:     Animal Idioms

Grammar and Vocabulary

Use of idiomatic English, especially idioms involving animals. .

Lesson Objectives

 Students will learn a number of expressions and idioms that involve animals.

Materials Required

 Work sheet containing list of animal idioms with animal names removed, list of animal names to be inserted and list of meanings. (One per group of four students plus answer key for teacher.) The idioms should NOT include those used as examples in setting up the activity.

Preparation

 Prepare work sheets

Procedure

1 Write “Idiom” on the board. Elicit ideas about its meaning. Add correct meaning  “a group of words whose meaning is not obvious from just the words”.

2 Write some examples.

Once in a blue moon

A storm in a teacup

Round the bend

Raining cats and dogs.

3 Ask students for their ideas about the meanings.

   Explain the real meanings.

   

4 Highlight “Raining cats and dogs”.

   Explain that English has many idioms involving animals.

   Add “Like a red rag to a __________”. and “A ______ in the hand is worth two in the bush.” to the board.

Elicit the answers “bull/bird” and explain the meanings.

5 Explain the worksheet task.

There is one sheet for each group.

There are twenty five animal idioms.

There is a list of animals and a list of meanings.

Groups must discuss the idioms and match the three things

idiom/animal/meaning¹

DO NOT WRITE ON THE PAPER.

Groups can use dictionaries or ask for help with words they don’t

know..

6 Hand out the worksheets. Allow at least fifteen minutes. Monitor and assist as needed,

7 Go through the answers. Explain the correct animals for each one and what they idiom means (and why, if it isn’t already clear.)

8 EXTENSION TASK

If lesson finishes early tell groups to think of an idiom in Chinese that involve animals and to translate it into English.

Ask each group for their idiom and the meaning (literal and figurative).

Notes

1. My idioms are keyed as A-Z, the animals as a-z, and the meanings as 1-26. Students can write answers in the form Ab3.

2. Worksheet suggestions.

A. At a __________’s pace.

B. A busy as a __________.

C. Open a can of __________s.

D. A wild __________ chase.

E. The world is your __________.

F. It’s a __________ eat __________ world. (Same animal both times.)

G. Hold your __________s.

H. I’ll be a __________’s uncle.

I. Let sleeping __________s lie.

J. Like shooting __________ in a barrel.

K. Like a __________ with a sore head.

L. A little __________told me.

M. Like a __________ in a china shop.

N. I have __________ in  my stomach.

O. A __________ in __________’s clothing. (Two different animals.)

P. You can’t teach an old __________ new tricks.

Q. You can take a __________ to water but you can’t make him drink.

R. The black __________ of the family.

S. Look what the __________ dragged in.

T. Till the __________s come home.

U. The __________’s got your tongue.

V. A __________ can’t change its spots.

W. They are just __________tears.

X. Don’t count your __________s before they are hatched.

Y. The __________ in the room.

Z. __________ see, __________ do. (Same animal both times)

a. bear                      Note

b. bee                 Some of these animals

c. bird                 are used more than once.

d. bull

e. butterflies

f. cat

g. chicken

h. cow

I. crocodile

i. dog

j. elephant

k. fish

l. goose

m. horse

n. leopard

o. monkey

p. oyster

q. sheep

r. snail

s. wolf

worm

1 Don’t plan for something that might not happen.

2 It’s a surprise to see you.

3 Very busy.

4 You can do anything that you want to.

5 Don’t be in such a hurry.

6 Don’t disturb someone who might cause trouble.

7 You can encourage someone but can’t make them work.

8 For a long time.

9 People don’t change their personalities.

10 Very slowly.

11 Something no one talks about.

12 Find something is more complicated than you thought.

13 I am very surprised.

14 I am very nervous.

15 Someone who pretends to be something he isn’t.

16 People don’t change their habits.

17 Only silly people copy others.

18 Doing something that can’t succeed.

19 Doing something that is very easy.

20 Someone who is very clumsy.

21 I know a secret.

22 People will do anything to succeed.

23 Someone who is very bad tempered.

24 Someone who is always in trouble.

25 You have nothing to say.

26 You are not really sorry.

3. Answer key.

Af10 Bb3 Cc12 Dl18 Ep4 Fii22 Gm5 Ho13 Ii6 Jk19 Ka23 Lc21 Md20 Ne14 Osq15 Pi16 Qm7 Rq24 Sf2 Th8 Uf25 Vm9 Wl26 Xg1 Yj11 Z017